“For too long, we've assumed that there is a single template for human nature, which is why we diagnose most deviations as disorders. But the reality is that there are many different kinds of minds. And that's a very good thing.” - Jonah Lehrer

We're veering way into topics that can get the thread closed, but could you PM me the links you've seen on this (I'll Google as well, but if you know of some, in particular, that you trust)? I hadn't heard this, and I want to know more.

I've always been of the opinion that denying oneself treats will lead to a failed diet. Yes you should limit them, but cutting them out entirely is just asking for trouble, IMO.

Even in the few times I have had to lose weight, I'd still treat myself to a handful of M&M's now and then.

I agree--one of the things that I like about the program I'm on (SparkPeople) is the idea that it's all about the *portion size* and that there isn't any such thing as a "bad food" ... just things that a proper portion would be awfully small. So when I eat chocolate, I'm not "cheating" ... I've just chosen to spend around 70 calories of my daily calorie budget on chocolate (one square, individually wrapped or a set number of M&Ms that I set out and then put all the rest away before I start eating). And anyone who wants to try to ruin my moment of enjoying chocolate *will* be firmly told that it is none of their business. (Yes, I do love chocolate--the darker the better.)

Weight Watchers is like that as well. I don't really know how the points plus works but I think with the old program you'd get 30 flex points a week that could be put towards a meal out, or a party or something that involves more food, or holidays. Or you could earn an extra point for doing 15 minutes of exercise. And as long as you wisely budget your points, you're good.

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Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

I'm old enough to have come to pretty well ignore the "Eat this food and live healthy forever!" news reports. You can almost guarantee that within a couple of years they will announce that the food is useless at best, and horribly bad for you at worst.

Sorry, there comes a time when "Trust us, we're right THIS time!" doesn't impress me.

DH tried to get me to give up caffeine once. I admit, I wasn't polite. I laughed. Sorry, I just like my coffee and Diet coke too much. And I can detect a difference in the caffeine-free versions. Years ago DH tried to slip me some caffeine free coffee but one sip and I knew it was not my beloved high-octane.

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Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

DH tried to get me to give up caffeine once. I admit, I wasn't polite. I laughed. Sorry, I just like my coffee and Diet coke too much. And I can detect a difference in the caffeine-free versions. Years ago DH tried to slip me some caffeine free coffee but one sip and I knew it was not my beloved high-octane.

If it was when you were pregnant, then we married the same guy. Now, granted, I can't taste the difference between regular and decaf but we got to where we were citing different studies at each other to defend our positions. (FWIW, all the existing research plus doctors' recommendations allow that up to 1 cup of coffee daily is probably totally safe and at the time I had about a 1/3 of that per day.) To stop the badgering keep the peace, eventually I just started having my tea at work.

I ran into this news article (on a mainstream news source) that said something like, "69% of Americans want to see <blah blah>." Wow, I thought, how interesting. That's very different from what I would have expected. So I read the article. Turns out it was based on a survey of 580 people. Now, I know that they choose the people for their random surveys very carefully, but on something political like that... if they can't figure out which way swing states will go, I really can't imagine that they can extrapolate realistically from a pool of 580 people.

I don't drink coffee, but I love Coke Zero (I reluctantly gave it up during pregnancy, as I regrettably couldn't stand the taste of Diet Coke with Splenda), and I love my caffeine-free iced tea made with a small amount of Splenda and lemon. My husband says it's tea-flavored water.

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Emily is 10 years old! 1/07Jenny is 8 years old! 10/08Charlotte is 7 years old! 8/10Megan is 4 years old! 10/12Lydia is 2 years old! 12/14Baby Charlie expected 9/17

DH tried to get me to give up caffeine once. I admit, I wasn't polite. I laughed. Sorry, I just like my coffee and Diet coke too much. And I can detect a difference in the caffeine-free versions. Years ago DH tried to slip me some caffeine free coffee but one sip and I knew it was not my beloved high-octane.

I used to be a "five cans of Coke a day" soda drinker. I finally gave it up in October. (The first week of withdrawal headaches was UGLY.) I stick to sparkling water now. My tolerance for caffeine has dropped through the floor. I drink one caffeinated diet soda with a meal and I'm bouncing off the walls for HOURS. DH says it's like dealing with a preschooler after trick-or-treating.